Nanna, oder, Über das Seelenleben der Pflanzen (Nanna, or the Inner Life of Plants, 1848) by the German physicist and philosopher Gustav Theodor Fechner (1801-1887) inspired herman de vries to this pond with white water lilies in the canals of former homestead Peckedam. In Nanna Fechner relates how he, after a period of eye problems, experiences a water lily in full bloom. He looks at the structure and life of the plant in utter astonishment. He longs for new eyes in order to be able to experience nature always as a new truth. Artist herman de vries recognises his own point of view about art and nature in this. de vries assumes nature is art; the artist’s job is to make this visible [source: www.kunstvereniging.nl/projecten/monument-voor-gustav-theodor-fechner]